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of course. Understandably, one of the big
challenges of this project was getting Burg-
er 21's leadership to sign off on dozens (if
not hundreds) of decisions large and small,
then making sure all those decisions were
effectively communicated to the general
contractor. Sanguinette also had to know
the lead times for the preferred materials.
After all, a good material at a good price
isn't worth much if it's not there when the
contractor needs it.
Despite the potential for chaos, there
were only a few hiccups during construc-
tion. The quartz for the countertops and
tables was out of stock in the United
States and had to be imported by the
factory. Not many other aspects of the
build depended on countertop installa-
tion, though, so this didn't prove to be too
much of a headache, Sanguinette says.
Dealing with the hiccups and
communicating final design decisions,
Sanguinette added, was made easier
by the project's general contractor. The
chain had worked with this particular
firm several times in the past, and their
partnership made it easier to communi-
cate and solve problems on the fly.
Sanguinette's attention is now on
prepping for remodels of existing res-
taurants. While there's no firm timeline
for when this phase of the project will
be complete, the first corporate remodel
began at the end of February.
These projects, Sanguinette says,
are being planned with a tight budget in
mind. Instead of ripping everything out
and replacing it with the new materials,
the chain is going to focus on design
elements that are easy to change or are
central to Burger 21's new look. Elements
that are durable, close enough to the new
look and expensive will likely remain.
The old gray tile flooring, for exam-
ple, will stay, but the chain will add in
the new hexagonal tile in key spots. The
millwork will remain, but the countertops
will be swapped out. And, of course, the
paint, wallpaper and artwork will all be
replaced with the new design elements.
Overall, this will result in a Burger
21 that, while slightly different from
the new prototype, will effectively drive
home the concept's key elements: a
menu that features a wide variety of
high-quality food served in a warm,
welcoming environment.
The performance of the earliest stores
with the new design shows these ideas are
coming through, says Mark Johnston. "The
overall feeling I got after seeing [the new
store in Kenesaw]: I was very, very pleased
with the level of finishes and general look
of the restaurant," he says. "You don't
expect to see a restaurant that nice in the
fast-casual realm. There was a really strong
impact on the perceived value to the guest.
It was functioning well, working well, and it
was busy." +
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